A county in Maryland.
The contract for the building of Cecil (APR-4) was cancelled
12 March 1943.

I

APA - 96: dp. 8,100 l. 492' b. 69'6"

dr. 26'6" s. 18 k. cpl. 575 a. 2 x
5"

cl. Bayfield

Cecil (APA-96) was launched as Sea
Angler by Western Pipe and Steel Co., San Francisco, Calif., under a
Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. S. Belither; acquired
by the Navy 26 February 1944; placed in reduced commission 27
February 1944; converted at Continental Iron Works, Portland, Oreg;
and placed in full commission 15 September 1944, Captain P. G. Hale
in command.

Cecil cleared San Francisco 26
November 1944 for amphibious training in the Hawaiians, and
preparations for the invasion of Iwo Jima at Eniwetok and Saipan. She
cleared Saipan with her task group 16 February, and 3 days later,
took position off Iwo Jima for the initial assault. As naval and air
bombardment pounded the island, her men skillfully played their part.
Remaining off the hard-fought beaches, Cecil completed
unloading troops, cargo, and vehicles, and embarked casualties, with
whom she sailed 28 February to Saipan.

Cecil continued on to Tulagi and
Espiritu Santo, where she loaded men and cargo of the 27th Infantry.
On 9 April 1945, she landed these reinforcements through high surf on
Okinawa. She remained for a week continuing her unloading under enemy
air attacks, aiding in fighting them off as she loaded and landed her
boats. On 16 April she got underway for Saipan and Ulithi, where she
received minor repairs and replenished. On 21 May, Cecil
arrived in Subic Bay, P.I., for transport and training duty until 27
August, when she departed Luzon with troops and cargo of the 1st
Cavalry, bound for occupation duty in Japan.

Cecil called at Yokohama from 2 to 4
September 1945, then returned to the Philippines to load more
occupation troops. On the return passage to Japan, she was ordered
into Okinawa from 25 September to 3 October to avoid a threatening
typhoon, then proceeded on to disembark her troops at Aki Nada. She
sailed to San Pedro, Calif., for a minor overhaul in November, then
made another voyage to the Philippines to return men and equipment to
San Pedro 22 January 1946. In March, she sailed to Norfolk, Va.,
where she was decommissioned 24 May 1946, and returned to the
Maritime Commission the next day.